Ed Marinaro – Bio, Net Worth, Facts About The Ex-American Football Player 

Quick Facts

Fans of Blue Mountain State definitely know and love Ed Marinaro who played Coach Marty Daniels on the hit show. But prior to playing the very questionable football coach, Ed Marinaro was an actual American football player. In 1971, he was considered for the famous Heisman Trophy but finished as a runner-up to Pat Sullivan, narrowly missing the trophy. The Heisman Trophy is an annual award given to the most outstanding player in the American college football league. It is typically awarded to the player who exhibits integrity alongside the pursuit of excellence.

After he left football, he took to acting as a new career path and ever since, he has had a string of steady roles. One of his most memorable roles was as Officer Joe Coffey, the main character in Hill Street Blues, a police procedural that aired on NBC from 1981 till 1987; the show followed the lives of the officers and staff of a police station on a fictional ‘Hill Street’ in an unnamed city. The show was met with seemingly universal acclaim and has served as the inspiration for many police procedurals after it. It had a total of 98 Emmy nominations during its run and won 8 Emmy awards during its debut season alone. Pretty impressive.

On the show, Ed Marinaro played a patrol officer and Vietnam veteran who is popular and liked by his colleagues. Because of his stature, his character was usually chosen to break down doors when necessary.

Acting Career

After he left football, he opted to pursue a career in acting. He got his start by becoming a cast member on several television shows including Sisters and Laverne & Shirley.

Laverne & Shirley was an iconic television show that ran for eight seasons about two roommates and friends who work at a fictitious Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee in the late 1950s. From the sixth season, the series relocated to Burbank, California and Ed Marinaro joined the cast as their landlord – Sonny St. Jacques, a handsome, tall and muscular man who was initially intended as a love interest for Laverne, although this was never actualized.

He also appeared on Circus Island a 2006 family film which also starred the sisters – Audrey Landers and Judy Landers. Other movies and television shows he has appeared in over the years include The Gong Show Movie, Fingers, Dead Aim, Queens Logic, Fist Of The Warrior, The Protector, Offer and Compromise. He also appeared in the Blue Mountain State movie – Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland.

Football Career

Prior to getting his foot in the acting door, he was a superstar football player. He played while in high school in New Jersey at the New Milford High School Knights. After which he played college football at Cornell University, an ivy league university in New York. While at Cornell, he set over 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) records. He was also the first running back to run over 4,000 career rushing yards in NCAA history.

In 1971, Ed Marinaro won the Maxwell Award which is presented annually to a choice college football player selected by a panel of sportswriters, sportscasters, NCAA head coaches and members of the Maxwell Football Club as the best player for the year in the United States. He also won the UPI College Football Player of the Year in 1971.

Net Worth

Thanks to the decades he has put in as an actor and his many years as a professional football player, Ed Marinaro currently has a total net worth of $3 million.

5 Random Facts About Ed Marinaro

1. Ed is married to Tracy York, the fitness expert. The two got married in 2001 and together they have one son – Eddie Marinaro (named after his father).

2. Ed Marino played professional football for a total of six seasons. He played with the New York Jets, The Minnesota Vikings and The Seattle Seahawks. While with the Vikings, he played in the Super Bowl VIII and Super Bowl IX. The sports superstar scored a total of 13 touchdowns during his career. In 1991, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

3. While at Cornell University, he was a member of Psi Upsilon (also known as Psi U), a North American fraternity. He was also selected to be a member of the Sphinx Head Society – which recognizes senior students of Cornell University who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of a dedication to leadership and service.

4. One of his most popular roles, however, was when he appeared as Coach Marty Daniels on Spike Tv’s Blue Mountain State, a fan favourite television show set on a college campus that over exaggerated certain aspects of American college life like binge drinking, sex, partying, drugs, hazing and American football. The show has developed a cult following over the years.

5. Ed still holds two NCAA records – career average carries per game (34.0) and most rushes per game in a season (39.6).

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.